Only 13% of companies surveyed by consulting firm BearingPoint are on track with their AI initiatives, while fewer than one-third have progressed beyond pilot projects. The study, published on October 1, 2026, found that close to 75% of respondents had already seen positive financial results from AI. Regulatory hurdles, cited by 40% of respondents, and difficulties integrating AI with legacy IT systems, cited by 34%, were the leading obstacles. The financial benefits were weighted toward efficiency: 24% reported AI-driven cost savings of at least 10%, compared with 4% reporting revenue growth of 10% or more. China led comprehensive AI implementation at 20%, followed by the United States at 18% and Germany at 8%. Deep operational integration increased to 11% in 2026 from 7% the previous year. BearingPoint said its findings are consistent with research from Gartner and MIT, while related 2025 and 2026 studies found that only 5% to 14% of AI pilots produce significant production or profitability impact. The results suggest that AI's near-term business case remains more focused on cost efficiency than revenue growth, with progress varying across markets.